There's a dedicate Florida that developed a twelve-foot-substantial monument in the center of town to exalt the lowly possum. Now, why would anyone need to do that?
Properly, to begin with, heroes are hard to seek out During this put in place Florida - the Panhandle money of scotland - Wausau, home of below five hundred individuals through Washington County about ten miles south of Chipley.
Why not the possum, an unlikely hero as you'll count on? Nobody else puts the possum with a pedestal. Why not Wausau?
Secondly, back again in 1982, Wausau acquired Sick and tired of staying overlooked of your Florida lists of enjoyable, fairs and festivals. Each position in Florida would like a festival. And not 1 location in Florida carries a Possum Festival. Why don't you Wausau?
If you have not been to Washington County, you most likely will Consider I am causeing this for being up. In case you have visited Washington County, you are going to realize - and know This may be a real Tale.
Wausau, it ended up, experienced some fairly potent possum politicians in early '80s. Listed here are a pair of items they achieved:
They persuaded the Florida Legislature to proclaim the really initial Saturday in August as Possum Day in Florida. That led for the constructing in the monument alongside State Highway 77 in Wausau.
They even bought The us Congress in promoting the possum. Congress joined the entertaining by offering the resources for Wausau's Possum Palace so Wausau might have a spot to hold its once-a-year Fun Day and Possum Festival. Featuring a queen contest and possum auction, between other points, the Competition attracts A lot of people Every and on a yearly basis, and so they like it.
Time out for many educating of Northerners in this article. The South's possum is identical lowly animal you simply call opossum, read more (Why use 7 letters when 6 will probably do?) It is a smallish marsupial that lives in trees and demonstrates its unattractive body only at nighttime. This is why, once you end up within the suitable put in place Florida, you may listen to possum hunters' dogs baying and barking. Treed by puppies, the possum 'freezes', so it really is not tough capture (or shoot) one.
An inscription about the monument in the middle of Wausau cites the possum's part in furnishing 'both of those fur and food' through the hundreds of years. It goes on say: 'Their existence here has offered a resource of nutritious and flavorful food in typical times and consists of been a vital support to human survival when in distress and demanding have to have.'
Chortle in the event you'd want. The people today of Wausau will chortle alongside - when downing baked possum and sweet potatoes.